Museum of Wonders, or Curiosities of the World

A cabinet of curiosities in book form, 1890: monsters of the ancient world, wild animals, queer wanderers in the vasty deep, famous inventions and sublime scenery — assembled to astonish the young and, the preface admits, their elders too.

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Famous Old Tower of London: Raymond

Of these savage heroes of the Cross, Tancred alone betrayed some sentiments of compassion; yet we may praise the more selfish lenity of Raymond, who The Assassination of Marat.

Two movable turrets were constructed granted a capitulation and safe conduct to at the expense and in the stations of the the garrison of the citadel. The holy Duke of Lorraine and the Count of Tho- sepulchre was now free; and the bloody louse, and rolled forwards with devout victors prepared to accomplish their vow. labor, not to the most accessible, but to Bareheaded and barefoot, with contrite the most neglected parts of the fortifica- hearts, and in an humble posture, they tion. Raymond's tower was reduced to ascended the hill of Calvary amidst the ashes by the fire of the besieged, but his loud anthems of the clergy; kissed the colleague was more vigilant and success- stone which had covered the Saviour of the ful; the enemies were driven by his world, and bedewed with tears of joy and archers from the rampart; the drawbridge penitence the monument of their redempwas let down; and on a Friday, at three tion. in the afternoon, the day and hour of the Passion, Godfrey of Bouillon stood victo- Browning, who is greater as an observer rious on the walls of Jerusalem. His ex- of history than as a poet, says that "a ample was followed on every side by the prominent assassination was merely a emulation of valor; and about four hun- straw, and not the wind." It is certainly dred and sixty years after the conquest of remarkable that this species of crime has Omar, the holy city was rescued from the always defeated its own end, simply car- Mohammedan yoke. In the pillage of rying out a mere individual vengeance. public and private wealth, the adventur- Those of Henry the Fourth of France, by ers had agreed to respect the exclusive Ravaillac, Buckingham by Felton, and property of the first occupant; and the Lincoln by Booth, to say nothing of the spoils of the great mosque-seventy numerous other instances, have achieved lamps and massy vases of gold and silver nothing beyond the act itself. The assas- -rewarded the diligence and displayed sination, however, of Marat, assumes a the generosity of Tancred. different phase, for it carried with it a A bloody sacrifice was offered by his mis- species of retribution almost partaking taken votaries to the God of the Chris- of the divine. tians; resistance might provoke, but Jean Paul Marat, who was born in 1744, neither age nor sex could mollify their was educated as a physician, and in his implacable rage; they indulged them- thirtieth year established himself in Edinselves three days in a promiscuous burgh, Scotland, as a private tutor. He massacre, and the infection of the dead soon left for France, and, when the Revobodies produced an epidemical disease. lution broke out, he rushed into its per- After seventy thousand Moslems had nicious circle with the wildness of a tiger. been put to the sword, and the harmless Although physically he was not prepos- Jews had been burnt in their synagogue, sessing, being only about five feet in they could still reserve a multitude of height, with a singularly repulsive countenance, his remarkable ability and vehem- fatigue, at last went to bed, advising her ence made him very influential with the ,ladies to do the same; but their anxiety masses. Emboldened by his impunity, was too great, and they sat up at her his name became a terror to all. door.

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